It’s been a great two day holiday in Wisconsin with Liz, Shaun, and Jace, but it’s time to go home now, back to normalcy, back to my usual 300 something day lifestyle. The cheese that is made right here in Wisconsin on the many farms simply out bests “regular” cheese by big name brands.

With over four hours of Christmas music playing on YouTube that was projected via HDMI on the television, the lot of us opened up gifts and played some Apples to Apples (an updated version). Ate at the rustic Texas Roadhouse for dinner beforehand (where it is normal to drop your cracked peanut shells on the floor). I ordered a sirloin steak and grilled shrimp combo with Caesar Salad and mashed potatoes on the side, along with a frothy white margarita with a lime wedge on the edge.

I’m on the Amtrak train now heading due northeast towards Michigan, this time sitting in the seat that is in the opposite direction the train is moving. It’s a peaceful journey through the Midwest, the choo choo sound of the train’s engine a great reminder of how trains are still a classic way to travel. The view outside my window is all dark now with the occasional train racing past in the opposite direction that my train is going. The air is cool in the compartment and the car gently rattles on the track. Riding the train has become one of my favorite ways to travel now, obliterating my idea that the travel method was all but obsolete compared to faster ways.

There are 19 days left until Christmas and then all of this holiday bonanza and anticipation simply vanishes, the down spiraling crescendo often anticlimactic and underwhelming to say the least.

This Thanksgiving, my family is ditching the bird because of being so tired of eating turkey and feeling full afterward, not being able to eat another bite. That dry meat doesn’t exactly go down well even with gravy.

Which is why this Thanksgiving, me and the rest are going a different way:

The German Way: Ertedankfest.

photo credit: avso.org

There will be a couple of foods native to German culture:

German potato salad, German bratwurst (which is a redundant saying because all bratwursts are German), some Heineken beer (a German lager), sauerkraut, and pasta salad (okay, that’s not German, it’s Italian, but close enough (Italy is just underneath Germany on the map).

This is always an anticipated holiday, even if the family is slowly getting smaller (and less enthusiastic about it). Football is the centerpiece of the day, with the annual Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Day game always a national spectacle. The Lions play the Vikings this year, a rarity on this day. They largely take control of the division if they win but slip to second if they lose.

We had a pre-Thanksgiving last night that consisted of turkey, cranberry sauce, rolls, deviled eggs, and stuffing. Pretty light and easy to put away.

White’s Chicken is one of those restaurants I rarely hear or even talk about, being kind of lost. The marquee sign has always said “Delivery” in those small black block letters, with the iconic red arrow pointing towards the entrance. I had never eaten at White’s Chicken in my city ever, that is until today for some special reason. The food there, especially the main course chicken, is very authentic and fresh, maybe even more so than KFC. It’s an old restaurant, dating back to the early 20th century, and has been on that same corner for as long as I can remember, right across from the Dunkin’ Donuts. It’s a small and modest eatery, seating only about twenty with the kitchen area behind the service counter in plain view. The only other time I went into that place was to get a job application. I’m surprised that this place is still in business with it looking so down and empty all the time (according to my eyes) but they also have catering which helps bring in a lot more money.

The place is mainly served by one waitress, who today looked like she would have to work two jobs in order to make enough money to make ends meet.

White’s isn’t ancient but it may as well be with it being stuck in a perpetual time warp of the early progressive era. The walls and decor clearly scream 1920s.